Releases

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich – The Griffins introduced Mike Stothers as their seventh head coach in franchise history Thursday during a press conference at The B.O.B in downtown Grand Rapids. In addition to Stothers, Detroit Red Wings assistant general manager Jim Nill and Griffins GM Bob McNamara spoke at the conference. Following a brief formal introduction of the new coach, Stothers, Nill, and McNamara talked one-on-one with local TV and print reporters. The following is a transcript of the event:

McNamara: I would first like to thank everybody for joining us today as we introduce our new coach to you. We are excited about the selection and we think this is a tremendous fit for both the Griffins organization and the Red Wings organization. With that, I will introduce Jim Nill from the Red Wings, who will introduce our new coach.

Nill: On behalf of the Red Wings and the Griffins I would like to welcome everyone. As you know, back in the spring we started negotiating a new affiliation agreement. We have had a great situation here and it is something both organizations wanted to get done and as you know we have a new four-year agreement. Part of that agreement is that (the Red Wings) were going to take over the Griffins’ coaching staff. We started this process by beginning interviews for a new head coach back in June, just before the draft. We received 25-30 applications and resumes with a great variety of great hockey people calling us from the NHL, junior, to people that coached in Europe. We cut that process down to a final five candidates and in the end, we always came back to one man. That’s why I am here today. Mike Stothers is going to be our new coach, and along with Jim Paek I think we have a great pair and will do a good job, not only for the Griffins, but for the Red Wings. In Detroit, we are all about winning. Grand Rapids is all about winning, and we know that these two guys are going to be the ones to continue that tradition. So I would now like to welcome Mike Stothers.

Stothers: Thanks Jim, and thank you all for your attendance here today. I am thrilled and honored to be a part of the Detroit and Grand Rapids family. I am looking forward to moving down here with my wife, while my daughters will be attending university in Canada, but will be down here as regularly as possible. I am looking forward to a great and successful season here. I have heard nothing but positive things about Grand Rapids, from the facility, the ownership, the fan passion. Everything about it has been so encouraging to myself and my family. Again, we are just thrilled and very honored to be working Ken Holland, Jim Nill, Bob McNamara and Jim Paek. As we get to know each other better, I look forward to meeting each and every one of you.